Anyone presenting themselves between 08:30 and 10:00 on a weekday morning will be seen by one of the doctors; no appointment is necessary. When you arrive, if there are a lot of people ahead of you in the queue, you will be given an approximate time to be seen and you may either wait or return later. If you feel increasingly ill while waiting or if you are very concerned about a child, please tell the receptionist – she can only help if she knows.

Monday to Friday evenings are by appointment only. If an urgent problem arises after morning surgery we will be able to offer an evening appointment, but only if the problem cannot wait until the next morning surgery.

Most medical problems take time to be assessed properly. It can be difficult to deal with a long list of unrelated items in a single consultation, so you may, on occasion, be asked to come back to discuss further worries.

Extended Hours Appointments

From 1 April 2017 we will be offering appointments on Monday mornings from 07:15-08:00 with Dr Pace and Monday evenings from 18:30-19:15 with Dr Watson. We are also offering appointments with the nurse on Thurday evenings from 18:30-19:00. These are ideal for those patients who find it difficult to attend the surgery during our normal working hours. Please ask the receptionist if you would like one of these appointments. Please note that blood tests can only be done in the morning, so if these are necessary you will be asked to return to the surgery during the normal working hours.

Practice Nurse

The nurse can be seen by appointment between the following times:

Monday-Friday: 08:30–12:45

Thursdays: 16:30–18:00 and extended hours 18:30-19:00

The nurse is also available to offer advice on a range of medical matters over the telephone. Receptionists will take a message and pass it on to the nurse, who will contact you at a mutually convenient time.

She can often help with problems such as minor injuries, vaccinations, childhood illnesses and family planning. Please make an appointment, or ask to speak to her if you are in doubt, and she can arrange to see you herself or advise you to see a doctor where appropriate.

Telephone Calls

Some problems can be dealt with over the telephone. The doctors will try to be available for telephone advice between 11:15–11:45 and 15:00–15:30. We will be happy to phone you back if you leave a number and will endeavour to return all calls before the end of the day.

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else.

Home Visits

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 10:00.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.